The Development of Critical Thinking for Students in Vietnamese Schools: From Policies to Practices

Developing critical thinking for students has recently gained significant attention in global educational discourse and practices, in response to social demands for autonomous citizens in a knowledge-based economy. In Vietnam, the objective of developing critical thinking for students has now become one of the central focuses in the new general educational program required by the government. However, a critical review of literatures on critical thinking, the new general educational program, and practices of teaching and learning in Vietnamese schools, reveals a number of potential hindrances for the changes, including a lack of clear and detailed guidance in the new program regarding critical thinking, teachers’ beliefs and teaching habits, a passive and examination-oriented learning culture, and traditions of hierarchy and face saving. To make teaching for critical thinking reality, there needs to be cooperation and participation from all parties from policy makers to teacher-training universities, local educational departments, schools, families, teachers and students in establishing a clear schedule for the implementation of a social constructivist approach in teaching and learning.